A Fallen Wife

Qin Muye felt that something was wrong with his body.

Ever since he realized Bai Yuji was constantly on guard against him and he couldn't sneak a kiss or cop a feel, he had been living a fairly ascetic life.

First, he had settled on a path for cultivating his soul in the early stages and learned a great many basic spells. He needed a clear head, preferably without all sorts of wild thoughts cluttering it up.

Second, without putting points into his physique, his body really was in poor shape. If he thought too much about lewd things, he really did feel like he might pass out.

And then, just now, he had suddenly witnessed something so depraved.

Wait, what?!

A moment ago, I clearly thought it was disgusting.

How did it activate the effects of this morning's medicine?

Could it be that my mind found it disgusting,

but my body found it exciting?

Something's wrong!

There's something seriously wrong with this body!

Qin Muye felt a wave of scorching heat coiling around his lower abdomen, but no matter what, it wouldn't disperse.

It was like a boiler with a broken circulation system. The boiling water couldn't flow through the pipes, but the heat kept building until it was about to blow the whole thing apart.

"How could this happen?!"

Bai Yuji panicked. She had never expected Qin Muye to react this way.

She had come up with this new treatment method. The idea was to use a tonic to provide some temporary fuel. As long as Qin Muye had even the slightest amorous thought, it would stir up the medicine's effects, cause a change in his body, and in turn bolster his confidence and get the blood and qi in his body flowing.

But after he took the medicine that morning, she had deliberately held his arm a little tighter in the carriage. The medicine had remained as silent as the grave. Perhaps his body still hadn't recovered enough.

In theory, that shouldn't have been a problem.

The dose he had taken that morning, though potent, was mild in nature. Even if it remained dormant, it wouldn't harm his body.

If Qin Muye's emotions stirred up the medicine's effects, it would quickly guide them where they needed to go.

But what was happening now?

Qin Muye hadn't come into contact with anything strange. He had only felt a little down because he thought of himself as a puppet on strings, and then the medicine had inexplicably kicked in.

The medicine's effects were pooling in his lower abdomen. If they didn't disperse soon, something might really go wrong.

Bai Yuji hurriedly said, "Qin Muye, think about something amorous!"

His forehead slick with sweat from the burning heat, Qin Muye said, "How am I supposed to think about that right now?"

Bai Yuji grew frantic too. She thought it over, but couldn't come up with anything else.

She cupped Qin Muye's face and pecked him on the lips.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

After all, he had already ambushed her like this several times before.

She asked, "Did it work?"

Qin Muye felt as if his sensitivity had multiplied countless times. That kiss sent him over the edge in an instant. He grabbed Bai Yuji by the wrist and pressed her against the window.

Bai Yuji: "Mmm..."

She had been forcibly kissed before, but this time felt completely different.

Before, she had only felt angry when he ambushed her.

Now, she felt dizzy and lightheaded.

Their lips and tongues tangled, warm breath brushed across their noses, and every little detail seemed capable of robbing her of the ability to think.

Why was this happening?

Bai Yuji didn't understand. Was it because he had become more handsome?

She couldn't make sense of it. All she knew was that her heart was pounding.

He was kissing her so hard.

But why didn't it hurt at all?

Suddenly,

she felt someone tug open her collar, then a hand slipped inside.

For an instant, she panicked and instinctively reached out to stop him. "Don't!"

Qin Muye's voice was hoarse, as if edged with anger. "You brought me back to the Capital for this, didn't you? Don't tell me you weren't prepared!"

At those words,

Bai Yuji's body went rigid. It felt as if someone had punched her in the chest, leaving her so tight-chested she could hardly breathe.

After freezing for a while, she lowered the hand she had held in front of her chest and stopped resisting him.

Her muddled mind suddenly cleared.

She could feel the pain in her lips again.

And in her chest, too.

It really hurt.

After an unknown amount of time, the medicine's effects finally dispersed, and the restless pulse in Qin Muye's heart returned to normal.

Bai Yuji's voice was a little hoarse. "Did your body change?"

"Yes."

"Was it a big change?"

"Not much."

"Mm... It should have helped a little."

"I..."

Qin Muye rubbed his head. The feeling of having his thoughts influenced by the medicine just now had been deeply unpleasant.

He backed away a little, then saw her face streaked with tears and froze. "You're crying?"

Bai Yuji's expression was cold. "I deserved it."

Qin Muye: "..."

Bai Yuji wiped the tears from her face and expressionlessly straightened her rumpled clothes.

A glimpse of spring showed through, utterly alluring.

But the bruises on her fair skin made Qin Muye feel so uneasy he could hardly sit still.

His lips moved. "Just now, I..."

Bai Yuji cut him off. "You were right. I brought you back to the Capital for the sake of the Qin Family's bloodline. It was my fault for not being prepared. You did nothing wrong."

"..."

"The carriage seems to have been stopped for a long time."

"Mm..."

"Let's go home!"

Bai Yuji circulated her true essence, drawing the blood and qi to her cheeks. Her slightly pale face immediately flushed with color.

She worked the muscles in her face and put on a smile that looked blissfully happy.

Only her eyes were a little red, with a faint glimmer still shining in them.

She lifted her face. "You can't see any Flaw, can you?"

"Your collar's wrinkled..."

"That's not a problem. Let's get out."

She wrapped her arm around Qin Muye's, holding him even closer than before.

But Qin Muye felt as if she were a long way away. His head hurt a little. Had that thing he said just now hurt her?

Damn it.

When the little tadpoles take over your brain,

you really can say anything.

Why can't I keep my mouth shut?

The two of them got out of the carriage, still looking like a blissfully happy couple, and walked hand in hand into Southern Pacification Mansion.

Just before they went inside,

Qin Muye felt someone watching him.

He turned and saw a tall, upright man quickly lowering his bamboo hat before striding past the carriage.

[Main Fate: Anti-Dog]: Hidden malice, mutual destruction.

[Fate Rank]: Seventh Grade (2/80)

[Annotation]: Jealousy takes root, and all boundaries vanish. After witnessing the woman he loves being defiled and yet willingly accepting it, he feels betrayed. After struggling bitterly, he defects to an enemy nation and betrays his people, only to meet the fate of the rabbit dying after the hunting dogs are killed.

[Hint]: Fate Skill Dog Leash acquired. You cannot obtain a second Fate Skill from the same target.

[Dog Leash]: Use on a target whose will has been completely shattered to tame them completely.

Qin Muye: "..."

He had been a little rough just now. The carriage must have rocked for a while.

Had this guy noticed?

A heartbroken simp was a little scary.

Looks like I have to kill him!

But now wasn't the time.

Qin Muye kept walking and returned with Bai Yuji to the small courtyard where they lived.

As soon as the courtyard gate closed, Bai Yuji let go of his arm and hurried back to her room.

Qin Muye hurried after her. "Um, there's something I need to tell you."

"Bang!"

The door shut.

Qin Muye: "..."

After a long while, he called at the door, but got no answer.

Bai Yuji felt his presence leave. Lying on her bed, she stared at the ceiling in a daze.

His words from earlier kept echoing in her mind.

"You brought me back to the Capital for this, didn't you? Don't tell me you weren't prepared!"

She didn't understand either.

Why had she been able to undress in front of Qin Muye in that cave the other day without feeling the slightest burden, yet today she had tried to stop him?

I brought him back to the Capital.

Wasn't this what I wanted?

For revenge, there was nothing I couldn't sacrifice. I had been prepared for this long ago.

But just now, why had she felt so debased?

He... seemed to think she was debased too.

And that was only natural. After he had been treated like this, it would have been stranger if he didn't think she was debased.

Autumn was a little cold.

Bai Yuji wiped the corner of her eye, wrapped herself in the quilt, and curled up into a ball.

Imperial Princess Mansion.

"Your Highness!"

Pu Mingzhu hurriedly knocked on the door of the cultivation room.

After quite a while,

Li Xingluo opened the door. "Nanny, what is it?"

Although her cultivation had been interrupted, she wasn't angry. She knew Pu Mingzhu well enough to understand that she would only do this if something important had happened.

Pu Mingzhu took a deep breath. "A genius puppet-maker has emerged at this Puppet Assembly!"

Li Xingluo didn't think much of it. "There are plenty of genius puppet-makers in the world. The Imperial Princess Mansion has no need of one."

"No!"

Pu Mingzhu shook her head and said firmly, "This one is different. We need him!"

Li Xingluo: "..."

After hearing Pu Mingzhu's account, her spirits immediately lifted. "Saddle the horses! We're going to recruit him right now!"

Lifeless things, yet the puppets he crafted were indistinguishable from living people.

How could they let such a startling talent slip away?

If they didn't fight for him, he would fall into the Crown Prince's hands.

The two women mounted their horses and shot into the sky.

Ignoring the Capital's no-fly laws, they headed straight for the Weapon-Forging Platform.

In mere moments,

the two of them descended like falling stars through the dusky sky, drawing countless eyes.

Li Xingluo asked urgently, "Where is he?"

Pu Mingzhu looked around. The Puppet Assembly had just ended, but she couldn't find the Bamboo Hat Man among the crowd.

She thought for a moment, then said gravely, "Your Highness! Let's go to Gongshu Mansion!"

The mistress and her attendant whipped their mounts forward once more, and the horses soared into the sky.

All they left behind were passersby trembling in fear, cowed by the mounts' fierce beastly presence.

"Is that... the Imperial Princess?"

"Yes!"

"She must have taken an interest in that puppet-maker too."

"It looks like the Crown Prince's people arrived just now as well."

"Does that mean those two are going to run into each other at Gongshu Mansion?"

Everyone whispered among themselves. The rivalry between the Crown Prince and the Imperial Princess had grown fiercer, and the emperor seemed to be letting them compete, with both sides gathering talent.

Although no one present knew how strong the puppets crafted by this puppet master were,

the mere fact that he used puppets to craft puppets showed just how extraordinary his skill at imbuing them with spirits was.

How could the Crown Prince and the Imperial Princess possibly let a talent like him slip away?

Gongshu Mansion was bound to be lively.

It was a shame they wouldn't get to see the excitement.